The Lord's Prayer, Should Christians Recite It, Matthew 6;5-13; vain repetiyions; Contemplative prayer spirituality; Emergent Church movement; similes

1. The Lord's Prayer
Should Christians Recite It?
Matthew 6:5-13
Luke 11:1-4
John 17
1
Dave Ford, Hole #2 Avondale... Hayden,Idaho

2. Let’s Read Matthew 6:5-13
2

3. Matthew 6:5, The Context
• NAU Matthew 6:5 "When you pray, you are not
to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand
and pray in the synagogues and on the street
corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I
say to you, they have their reward in full.
• The “do not’s”
• The hypocrisy of public prayers for a show
3

4. Matthew 6:5, “in secret”
• NAU Matthew 6:6 "But you, when you pray, go
into your inner room, close your door and pray
to your Father who is in secret, and your Father
who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
• The “do’s”
• Not public prayer, but private, “in secret”
• Personally, “one on one” with the Father
4

5. Matthew 6:7
“meaningless repetition”
• NAU Matthew 6:7 "And when you are praying,
do not use meaningless repetition as the
Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be
heard for their many words.
• It’s so easy and automatic for us to repeat our
memorized sayings, and even Bible verses, in a
“meaningless repetition” way.
• We must be thinking of the very words and Who
it is that we are speaking to.
• Not on auto pilot. 5

6. Matthew 6:8, Your Father Knows
• NAU Matthew 6:8 "So do not be like them; for
your Father knows what you need before you
ask Him.
• What do you think God thinks when we just
repeat His words back to Him?
• How would you feel if the main way that your
spouse communicated with you was to recite
your wedding vows, over, and over, and over
again? Instead of daily personal interaction.
6

7. Matthew 6:9 “like this"
• NAS NET NAU Matthew 6:9 "Pray, then, in this
way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be
Your name.
• KJG GNV KJV …this manner…
• ESV Matthew 6:9 Pray then like this…
• YLT …thus… pray ye…
• NIV NIVO Matthew 6:9 "This, then, is how you
should pray…
• BYZ BGT …οὕτως οὖν…
7

8. Matthew 6:9 “like this"
• ESV Matthew 6:9 Pray then like this…
• The word “like” is a “simile”
• Mac dictionary defines a; “simile |ˈsiməlē|
• noun, a figure of speech involving the
comparison of one thing with another thing of a
different kind, used to make a description more
emphatic or vivid (e.g., as brave as a lion, crazy
like a fox)…”
• [remember a simile means that it is not a lion, or
a fox, but like/as] 8

9. Matthew 6:9 “like this"
• When our Lord included the word “like” we can
immediately understand that He did not want us to
pray that prayer repetitiously. If that were the prayer
we are to repeat endlessly He would have said, “pray
this”. But instead He said “pray in this manner”, or
“pray like this”.
• He instructed us to pray similarly, to our father, in a
relational, conversational way. Personally,
understanding His sovereignty, that He is holy and
we are not, yet we are His children and have needs.
Submitting ourselves to His will, while anticipating
His kingdom.
9

10. “The Lord's Prayer”
• Also, remember, what we call “The Lord's Prayer”
was not prayed by the Lord. He could never pray
that prayer;
• NAU Matthew 6:12 'And forgive us our debts, as
we also have forgiven our debtors. [He was
without sin, without debt]
• Consequently, many call the prayer in Matthew
6:5-13 (Luke 11:1-4), “The Disciples Prayer” or
“The Lord's Teaching About Prayer”
• John 17 is the longest prayer, and the most
passionate and informative.
10

11. “The Lord's Prayer”
• The Luke 11:1-4 teaching is in a direct response
to the disciples asking to be taught how to pray.
This was not a spontaneous prayer of the Lord.
• NAU Luke 11:1 It happened that while Jesus
was praying in a certain place, after He had
finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord,
teach us to pray just as John also taught his
disciples."
• Remember Jesus said no vain repetitions;
11

12. No Vain Repetition
No Magic
12

13. No Vain Repetition No Magic
• No Contemplative Prayer, spiritual ecstasy
13
evotionaldotorg.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/praying-like-a-pagan

14. Contemplative Spirituality Goes
Mainstream? with Ray Yungen (Part 1)
• This Week's Radio Program, http://www.thebereancall.org/content/contemplative-spirituality-goes-mainstream-
ray-yungen-part-1
• Contemplative Spirituality Goes Mainstream? with Ray Yungen (Part 1)
• Gary: Welcome to Search the Scriptures 24/7, a radio ministry of The Berean Call with T.A. McMahon. I'm Gary Carmichael.
It's great to have you tuned in. In today's program, Tom begins a two-part series with guest Ray Yungen as they address the
topic "Contemplative Spirituality Goes Mainstream?" Here's TBC's executive director Tom McMahon.
• Tom: Thanks, Gary. My guest for today's program is Ray Yungen. Ray is the author of A Time of Departing and For Many Shall
Come in My Name." In addition to his excellent books, he also writes articles for the Lighthouse Trails blog site. Today and
next week, the Lord willing, we're going to address the issue of Contemplative Spirituality. So, Ray, welcome back to Search
the Scriptures 24/7.
• Ray: Thank you very much, Tom. I'm glad to be here.
• Tom: Ray, as you know, contemplative spirituality has greatly increased in its acceptance among those who profess to be
evangelical Christians - that is, when I use that term, I'm referring to those who at least would acknowledge that the Bible is
their authority in matters of faith and practice. It's also a major part of the Emergent Church movement, which has appealed
to multitudes of evangelical youths, and now we're seeing it promoted by what I would call the elder statesmen of
evangelicalism: names such as David Jeremiah and Chuck Swindoll. So, Ray, we need to get to the question of whether or not
the contemplative approach to drawing closer to God is truly biblical.
• But before we go there, give us, as best you can, a concise definition of contemplative spirituality.
• Ray: Certainly. The word "contemplative" is originally found in the Roman Catholic Church, and it comes from the Latin word,
"contemplar," which means "in the temple." And the connotation would be, this would be in ancient Rome that various
professional mystics or seers would go into various temples and they would commune with the god of that particular temple
mystically.
• And as the centuries rolled on, the word "contemplation" developed a secular mindset where you just kind of ponder things,
and that's where most of our listeners would put that word - you know, you just think about things. But there is a hidden, or
esoteric, side to that word, and that means kind of a mystical communion. Not just intellectual but mystical. And that's what
we're dealing with here. Contemplative prayer has nothing to do with, you know, using your intellectual aspect of your mind.
14
Don't squint! The complete article
follows after the THE END slide.

15. “Contemplative Prayer”
The Berean Call with T.A. McMahon, “Contemplative Spirituality Goes
Mainstream? with Ray Yungen (Part 1)”
• “Ray: Certainly. The word "contemplative" is originally
found in the Roman Catholic Church, and it comes
from the Latin word, "contemplar," which means "in
the temple." And the connotation would be, this
would be in ancient Rome that various professional
mystics or seers would go into various temples and
they would commune with the god of that particular
temple mystically… But there is a hidden, or esoteric,
side to that word, and that means kind of a mystical
communion… It's actually switching off your mind…
you're basically in kind of a trance…”
15

16. In summary;
Matthew 6:5-13, Remember
• “when you pray, go into your inner room”
• pray to your Father
• not to be like the hypocrites
• so that they may be seen by men.
• do not use meaningless repetition
• Pray like this…
16

17. In closing
17

18. THE END
The Lord bless
you;
18

19. Contemplative Spirituality Goes
Mainstream? with Ray Yungen (Part 1)
• This Week's Radio Program, http://www.thebereancall.org/content/contemplative-spirituality-goes-mainstream-
ray-yungen-part-1
• Contemplative Spirituality Goes Mainstream? with Ray Yungen (Part 1)
• Gary: Welcome to Search the Scriptures 24/7, a radio ministry of The Berean Call with T.A. McMahon. I'm Gary Carmichael.
It's great to have you tuned in. In today's program, Tom begins a two-part series with guest Ray Yungen as they address the
topic "Contemplative Spirituality Goes Mainstream?" Here's TBC's executive director Tom McMahon.
• Tom: Thanks, Gary. My guest for today's program is Ray Yungen. Ray is the author of A Time of Departing and For Many Shall
Come in My Name." In addition to his excellent books, he also writes articles for the Lighthouse Trails blog site. Today and
next week, the Lord willing, we're going to address the issue of Contemplative Spirituality. So, Ray, welcome back to Search
the Scriptures 24/7.
• Ray: Thank you very much, Tom. I'm glad to be here.
• Tom: Ray, as you know, contemplative spirituality has greatly increased in its acceptance among those who profess to be
evangelical Christians - that is, when I use that term, I'm referring to those who at least would acknowledge that the Bible is
their authority in matters of faith and practice. It's also a major part of the Emergent Church movement, which has appealed
to multitudes of evangelical youths, and now we're seeing it promoted by what I would call the elder statesmen of
evangelicalism: names such as David Jeremiah and Chuck Swindoll. So, Ray, we need to get to the question of whether or not
the contemplative approach to drawing closer to God is truly biblical.
• But before we go there, give us, as best you can, a concise definition of contemplative spirituality.
• Ray: Certainly. The word "contemplative" is originally found in the Roman Catholic Church, and it comes from the Latin word,
"contemplar," which means "in the temple." And the connotation would be, this would be in ancient Rome that various
professional mystics or seers would go into various temples and they would commune with the god of that particular temple
mystically.
• And as the centuries rolled on, the word "contemplation" developed a secular mindset where you just kind of ponder things,
and that's where most of our listeners would put that word - you know, you just think about things. But there is a hidden, or
esoteric, side to that word, and that means kind of a mystical communion. Not just intellectual but mystical. And that's what
we're dealing with here. Contemplative prayer has nothing to do with, you know, using your intellectual aspect of your mind.
19
Don't squint! The complete article
follows after the THE END slide.